Brick Smoke Stack...out of wood! But what kind?

[wcfn100]

I don't spend much time on forums

This is the only part of your post that has any truth to it.

Don't get me wrong, your reaction is very normal, but it's not going to serve you well going forward on any forum.


Jason

[Alaska Railroader]

Maybe it's all in perspective of interpretation but trolling? You're kidding right? After re-re-reading your post, guess not. So much for folks trying to be helpful. As an outsider, all I will say is wow.

This

............ And I don't think you are even aware you are doing it. So, I'll politely ask that you not respond on this or any other thread I start in the future........

Never in my time here did I ever imagine someone, newbie or not, politely or not, ask David K Smith to discontinue posting comments on their thread or any thread they may start in the future! Wow. Sir, you need to learn more about forums, especially this one if you are to be taken seriously. I am trying to be calm and fair in my response to you because 1) I want to be the rational thinker/responder that I'm asking you to be, 2) I am a fellow laser operator and am trying to understand your point of view (I'm trying to anyway), and 3) I am David's laser operator and we were TOO successful with a joint venture we did called the "TownBuilder System" because we could not keep up with the demand for our brick structures, grow our individual businesses, and have a life too.

Please also understand that we are all "allowed" to respond to posts here because that is what you do on forums. Not being a moderator you don't have the permission to ban people from posting on your threads. If you don't like how we respond to you then don't post at all. If the discussion becomes out of control the moderators will do their job, trust me on that one. I'm not at all suggesting you stop posting here, I enjoy a healthy discourse with another laser guy, just take the time to learn what this type of forum is by reading more in here and maybe leave your kids' advice out of it.

Whew!

[peteski]

Ignoring the trolling comments, I think it is best we give up providing excellent examples on why acrylic is better media than wood for representing surfaces other than wood.  David has his mind firmly set and no amount of excellent documentation will sway him away from his convictions.  Some people can be more close-minded than others.

David, you make some excellent models - keep on making them (out of wood)!     After all, it is your hobby and your business. Seriously, I am in awe of your abilities.

[VonRyan]

I missed something somewhere, but why argue about methods? As I learned in High-School sociology, anyone can interpret data to suit their own needs.

That being said, both sides do excellent work with two excellent mediums. Although there is indeed some possible jest mixed in with the constructive discussion about the merits of both mediums, it would be wrong to think that DKS was speaking with any malcontent.

In this hobby, is it almost paramount for smaller manufacturers to communicate on some level if anyone is to learn anything new, and especially if anyone expects to prosper in any sense of the word.
With N-scale, I've found that the smaller manufacturers (with good business-sense a given) actually benefit from discussion.

I may not be in any position to speak for DKS, let alone any other manufacturer other than myself (which I can't really even call myself one), but I'm sure that there wasn't any trolling afoot. I'm no expert on trolling, but I'm sure others will agree.

[Sokramiketes]

I feel like the two David's are argueing completely different things.  One is going for a pristine, injection molded look of clean brick (for which acylic is undoubtable a better solution).  One is going for the more random, weathered brick appearance (for which clean-grained wood is a much better solution).

Sure you can put texture on acylic bricks, but it ends up looking like a pattern.  The pattern plus the inherent randomness of the wood grain together makes for a great non-patterend end result.  For the right situation.

Yes DKS has some experience, yes he is heavy handed in talking about it.  That's part of forum life here where there are a couple experts.  The alternative is a bunch of ohh ahh moments from people without experience. 

I'd like to challenge Alaska/DKS to match this effect in acrylic: 



Model in N scale by Chris Brimley, laser cut wood bricks.

[Alaska Railroader]

..........I'd like to challenge Alaska/DKS to match this effect in acrylic: 

See? This is the fun part, when a couple of laser guys can compare methods, discuss their preferences and the "whys". I said earlier that I enjoy healthy discourse with fellow laser operators, very much so. However I'm not too keen on being challenged in an unhealthy way. Can I sit down and come up with a similar look in acrylic? Probably. That takes time to design and time to burn it. If it was for a purpose other than to prove I can keep up with the other guy's methods for the sake of argument? I don't have time or desire for that. I do, in fact, laser cut bricks in wood and laserboard, also cut corrugated metal siding and roofing from them too. I don't have the resin casting ability or equipment so I do what I can.

We are talking apples/oranges. With acrylic you need only laser the part once for a mold. With wood/laserboard each part for each kit has to be cut over and over. That is my method out of necessity so I'm not saying the other David is wrong. Sometimes I'll call my good friend Robert Ray (a top notch laser man) just to talk the trade, I love it and we both learn something. I love pushing the envelope that my laser was designed to do, so much so that the US rep for the laser company has parts I cut to show the manufacturer. I'm not better than the other guys, I just love this kind of healthy challenge imposed on by myself and DKS as well.

I agree, David's kits look really cool and look like they are fun to build! It would be fun to sit down and talk methods with him in person. His wife might want to be there though since I am a woman 

[glakedylan]

deleted post

[John]

Ok folks .. please calm down .. we are all entitled to our opinions .. 

[tom mann]

fwiw..."trolling" requires a mean spirited intention, which is not DKS in any way.

I just see good commentary both ways...don't know why anybody should feel bad.

The alternative is a bunch of ohh ahh moments from people without experience. 

Atta boy on that, thanks for giving out that information!

[chessie system fan]

Back to the stack, since it should be tapered, what's the best way to go about doing that?  And would the brick drawings need to be modified to account for it?

And what about the top?  I have no idea what that should look like.

[sirenwerks]

fwiw..."trolling" requires a mean spirited intention, which is not DKS in any way.

there are passions that get expressed in our words; their are opinions that are not all the same.

nonetheless, there is no a "mean spirit" anywhere in these posts.

so accusations of "trolling" are without foundation, but differing opinions are held and supported in passion.

such are the things that bring out the best of creation and our level of skill.

civility also helps...fwiw

kindest regards to all
Gary

I like these sort of retorts, as if there's only one way to interpret the written word, one prevailing logic in even this small world.  If that were the case, would there be other languages or cultures?

[Dave V]

Calm, well-reasoned critique and diligent analysis of technique are pillars of the Railwire.  A hallmark of a true Railwire A$$hat is not taking the analysis or critique as a damnation of his character.  We welcome dissenting opinions because they represent multiple paths to modeling success (some, perhaps, more successful than others).

It's worth mentioning that DKS (someone I consider a true friend) has done something selfless for almost everyone on the board, whether it be 20+ custom-ordered revisions to a trackplan or--in my case--a kitbashed model of a prototype station, with no expectation of anything in return.  A troll he is not.

[CacheJunction]

Back to the stack, since it should be tapered, what's the best way to go about doing that?  And would the brick drawings need to be modified to account for it?

And what about the top?  I have no idea what that should look like.

The president of our N scale club works on a lathe and says he will turn them for me. I am going to start with a simple tapered dowel. 12" long, base of 3/4" tapered to the top of .66" of an inch. Nothing fancy, just to see the effect on the brick pattern as it gets 'squished' toward the top. The bricks at the top are going to be slightly smaller, but I hope not enough to look unnatural. Also, I am curious about how much deeper the etching will be since it will be more compact at the top. So, to answer your question, I am hoping I will not have to alter the drawings because that will be a challenge! The second stack will look almost exactly like Walther's 5.5" brick stack, with the "beehive" shape at the top. I have no idea what will happen with that. Pure experiment.

[Scottl]

Very cool.  Is it possible to distort the drawing to scale it for the taper?  I'm not sure what form the artwork is in, but if it was a vector drawing I could imagine how to do that quite easily.  Might be easiest to just try it with the artwork as is, but it is an option if you are not happy with the initial results.

[Alaska Railroader]

.......Nothing fancy, just to see the effect on the brick pattern as it gets 'squished' toward the top. The bricks at the top are going to be slightly smaller, but I hope not enough to look unnatural. Also, I am curious about how much deeper the etching will be since it will be more compact at the top. So, to answer your question, I am hoping I will not have to alter the drawings because that will be a challenge!......

David, will your laser be able to auto focus as the surface moves further away from the taper? How will you keep it from going out of focus? Maybe there is something built into the rotary attachment to compensate for this? Curious minds want to know.....